For Love I Hide
by N.V.9
Summary: Hidan has always been in love with Haku, but for his love he held back when Haku married Zabuza. Seven years later, things are shifting and maybe, just maybe, it's time for Haku to be his. COMPLETE


**Look toward profile/bio for disclaimer and anything else involving this story.**

He watched with the taste of bitterness and heartbreak, running one and one, within his mouth. His expression was one of indifference, but anyone willing to look behind the black sunglasses could see the longing and pain circling around one another. If they looked close enough, they'd see his body trembling with supressed tears.

Instead, everyones gaze was locked at the couple in the front. The couple in the center of all of this. The petite, gorgeous raven and the giant who was in his place. It should have been him standing there holding Haku's hands in his own. Should have been there smiling with love and devotion. Should have been him saying his vowes. Should have been him recieving them. It should have been him getting ready to start the next part of that beautiful adventure with the love of his life, not Zabuza.

Instead he had to watch his friend taking his place all because he was hours too late to confess his love.

When his raven lifted his head to be kissed, Hidan squeezed his eyes tightly and turned away. When others began clapping and standing to praise the new couple, Hidan stood up and escaped out the side door.

A bar was looking pretty good about now.

o~o

_seven years later_

o~o

Hearing a knock at the front door, Hidan put down the control to the game system he was playing. With a scowl on his face for whoever dared to mess with his game time, which he rarely got to have now, he opened the door, ready to tell the other off.

But instead, his words caught in his mouth when a petite raven stood there, looking lost and confused. In his arms, he held his son, Inari. The little boy only two years old. It was a weekday, so that meant that his daughter was in school and his other son was most likely in preschool.

"Haku, are you alright?" He asked gesturing him in, taking Inari in his arms as he did so, the little boy more then happy to come to him.

"I...Hidan," Haku paused as he glanced around the slightly messy house. Hidan had enough grace to flush a slight red. Haku's eyes shouldn't have to see this. His eyes were meant to see the world of beauty, not this. "Have you seen Zabuza?" Haku finally asked, sitting gingerly on one of the kitchen stools.

"No, not since yesterday." Hidan answered, allowing Inari to pull on his earring. The little boy always did enjoy playing with it and Hidan never told him no. He never told any of Haku's kids no because he'd fantasize that they were his. That Hanare was his six year old daughter, Samaru was his four year old son, and Inari was his baby. He'd fantasize that he lived with Haku and that they'd make love every night. He'd dream of it even. Dream of coming home from work to Haku waiting for him. To the kids jumping up and down to welcome daddy home. Then he'd wake up and curse his heart out because it wasn't ever going to happen.

"Oh." Haku nodded, his delicate fingers playing with the dust on the counter.

"Is everything okay?" Hidan asked with concern, grasping Haku's hands gently with in his own and looking into the others eyes. He always felt the same shock of lightning running through his blood whenever he touched Haku. Many times he craved Haku's touches. He wanted to feel it to the point of obsession. Just a touch from Haku was a rush.

He long ago gave up on trying to avoid Haku. He'd go out and party, drink, but when he went to his date's home, he couldn't bring himself to fuck the other. He felt like he was cheating on Haku everytime, which was stupid. Haku wasn't even his. His little raven was happily in love with another man. His little raven knew nothing of his heart, and Hidan planned to keep it that way. He couldn't take it if Haku found out and then went out of his way to keep Hidan from his family.

"I don't know." Haku got out through trembling lips. "He's never home anymore. I don't know what to do. I mean, he comes home takes a shower and he's off again. I don't know where he goes. I don't know if he's seeing someone else. When I ask him to stay, we end up arguing and then he's gone."

Pulling Haku into his body, Hidan tried to comfort his little raven as best as he could. In his mind, he planned to rip Zabuza a new one. How could that mother fucking asshole do this to Haku! How could he make Haku cry and worry about things that shouldn't have been a problem! "Why don't you and Inari wait here? I can try to find him and figure out what's going on."

"Hid-"

"Haku, I can't let you drive in your condition. I wouldn't be able to live with myself if something happened to you or Inari," meaning he'd die or go crazy or both, "please just wait here."

"Okay." Haku nodded, taking Inari in his arms again. "Thank you Hidan."

"Of course, what are friends for?" Hidan tried to smile around the word friend. He hated that word with a passion when it involved Haku. He wanted another word in that place instead. One that made it impossible for Haku to leave him.

o~o

"What the fuck are you doing!" Hidan snarled hours later, finding the bastard he'd been looking for in a ranky bar.

"Get the fuck out of my face." Zabuza glared at him, pushing Hidan away as he went back to the glass in front of him.

"Why are you fucking doing this? You fucking bastard, Haku is worried sick-"

"He shouldn't be." Zabuza cut him off. "It's not him that has to keep this family above the damn water."

"What the fuck is that supposed to mean?" Hidan demanded, glaring at the bartender when the other man looked as if he'd interfer. Just one look was all it took for the man to raise his hands in the air and go back to ignoring him.

"It means that he doesn't have bills piling up over his damn head. That he doesn't have to worry about when this shit is going to be paid or if he'd have enough to pay it!"

"If you have money problems-"

"It's not just that. Damn it! He's pregnant again!" Zabuza hissed, slamming the glass on the counter as he got up to leave, Hidan following in shock behind him. "We're going to have another mouth to feed and I don't know how we're going to afford it. They cut my damn hours at the warehouse! The fucking car is on the verge of being repo'd. Hidan, I have spent hours trying to figure this shit out but nothing is going to work! We can't afford this kid!"

"I can lend you the money." Hidan said quickly, pissed beyond reason at Zabuza's words. "I told you if you ever needed help, to come to me. Instead you have too much fucking pride to ask for my help! Does Haku even know!"

"He doesn't...why should he? It's not like he has a job to help pay for this shit. Haku's never even worked a day in his life. What good would it fucking do if he knew?"

"Because it's his family too." Hidan growled. "It's Haku's life and your kids life. It's his fucking right to know! If you were so worried about fucking bills, why the fuck are you wasting your damn money on bars!"

"Because I have nothing else to do!" Zabuza snarled, pushing Hidan against the wall of said bar, only to grunt when Hidan punched him in the gut and pushed him off. "Damn it, Hidan, you aren't the one living paycheck to paycheck. You aren't the one with the damn family that relies on you alone to keep them safe. You aren't the one in my position. I can't take it anymore. I can't live like this. I can't do it." Zabuza whispered from the floor, making no move to get up. "I can't live a lie."

"What lie?" Hidan frowned.

"Nothing." came the instant reply. "Nothing."

"Let me help you. Let me give you the damn money and you never have to pay it back."

"Why?" Zabuza asked, looking at him with nothing in his eyes. Like he was hiding everything he was feeling just to know the answer. "Why would you help us? You don't help anyone. You don't care about anyone enough to lend them a hand. So why help us? Why do you always help us?"

"Because your family is precious to me." Hidan said, the only words he could think of that would show that he loved Zabuza's family but not enough to show that he was in love with them.

Instead of answering, Zabuza stood up and walked away.

o~o

When he arrived home, Hidan found Haku's car gone. The pang that followed, hurt but what was he expecting? It didn't matter how much he dreamed or wanted, Haku would never be his. Entering the door, he paused in shock. Everything was clean and put in it's place. Finding a note on the counter, written by Haku, he read,

_"Hidan, I hope you don't mind but I needed to keep my mind occupied. Hopefully I put everything where it belongs, if not, just call. Inari and I made lunch for you, it's in the fridge. P.S. please go and buy food that won't kill you faster. Love Haku_."

With a soft smile on his lips, Hidan read the last part again. "Love Haku."

Closing his eyes, he kissed the paper and gently put it in his wallet and went to get the meal made for him by Haku's and Inari's hands.

o~o

"Haku?" Hidan frowned when he opened the door at three in the morning. His eyes taking in Haku with all three kids, each of them dressed in pajamas. "What's wrong?"

"I'm sorry for coming at this time," Haku started as Hidan ushered in the kids, grabbing the bags resting on the ground behind Haku. "but I don't know where else to go. I would have gone to Deidara but they're on vacation."

"It's okay. Why don't we put the kids to bed in the guest room and then we'll talk." Hidan suggested wanting to know what was going on, but worry for the little family putting his curiosty on the back burner.

Once all three of the kids were all tucked in and fast asleep, Hidan lead Haku to the livingroom and brought him a cup of coffee. "Haku what happened?"

"Zabuza and I got into a fight. I don't know how it started but he snapped and..."

"Did he hit you." Hidan demanded instead of asked, looking over Haku as rage formed inside of him. He saw no bruises but what if Zabuza hit him where they wouldn't show?

"No, we just yelled and he punched the wall and broke the coffee table. I don't know what he was saying. Hidan he was drunk and everything was slurred, but he scared me. He woke up the kids with his yelling and then he got angry when they started crying." with each word spoken by Haku, Hidan was wishing to kill the bastard. "He locked himself in the garage and I grabbed the kids and left. I didn't know where else to go." Haku sobbed, allowing Hidan to pull him into his chest. "You've always been there for us-"

"You know you can always come to me." Hidan promised Haku, kissing the raven's hair. "Whenever, for whatever, you can always come to me. I'll go talk to Zabuza. You go to sleep with the kids."

"Hidan-"

"I got you Haku. I always will." Hidan smiled, tilting Haku's head back to show he meant it. "Whatever you need, I got you."

Nodding, Haku stood up, but before he walked off, Hidan stilled when his raven's lips met his cheek. In silence he watched Haku move off to the guest room. Licking his lips, he got up and moved to his own room, running a finger over his cheek in the process.

Twenty minutes later, he arrived at Haku's house, not seeing Zabuza's truck, he frowned. Parking the car, he moved inside without even knocking. "What the fuck..." he whispered in shock as he took in the whole house. Everything was turned on it's side and covered in glass. Everything was broken to pieces and barely hanging on. "Son of a bitch." he hissed in anger as he searched the rest of the house and found the same theme in every room. Even the kids toys were broken or ripped. "Son of a fucking bitch!" he shouted in anger when he came to the pictures on the wall. All of them completely precious to Haku, torn and slashed to pieces. The wedding photo getting the worst of the assult.

Moving back outside, he looked down the street both ways and found no sign of Zabuza's truck to either direction. When the light of the neighbors house went on, Hidan moved toward them. He knew this family, he'd be stupid if he didn't, since they had been Haku's neighbors for five years. He knew the family had three boys, their oldest being seven and their youngest being three.

"Itachi," Hidan called, when he was close enough not to yell. Itachi was a friend of sort, but it was his wife, Deidara, that Hidan had come to care for. Deidara was Haku's best friend and because of that Hidan thought of Deidara and his children as family.

"Hidan, care to explain why you are cursing out their house?" Itachi asked, looking exhausted. Behind Itachi, Hidan made out his seven year old, Shisui trying to peek through the railings on the stairs to find out what was going on. Beside the little boy, his brothers, Sasuke and Naruto, were both watching both yawning every now and then. The little blonde waving when he spotted Hidan. Moments later, Deidara appeared behind them, sending them scrambling. Turning his gaze to the front door, Hidan saw a few bags, meaning that the family had just gotten back home from their vacation.

"I'm guessing you missed Zabuza?" Hidan asked instead.

"Missed?" Itachi frowned turning to look toward the empty house. "What happened?"

"Haku's at my place." Hidan answered, walking with Itachi back to the trashed house. "He and Zabuza got into it and that bastard decided to trash the house." he said and went on to tell Itachi why he thought this fight had happened.

"Is Haku alright?" Itachi asked worridly as he took in the entrance of the house. Gasping in shock when he walked farther in.

"He's fine. Left before Zabuza decided to trash the rest of this place. I did a quick run through, but I don't think we can save anything." Hidan stated, wishing he could. Haku would be devistated. "I'm going to bring Haku back tomorrow and see what he wants to do."

"And Zabuza?"

"I'll let Haku decide that too. As much as I want to gut that damn fucking bastard, I won't do anything to hurt Haku more." Hidan said.

"Let me know what he decides." Itachi finally said, heading back outside. When they were on the boarder of the yards, Itachi turned to him, "I always knew that Haku ended up with the wrong man."

"Wh-what?" Hidan gaped, unsure if he heard right. No one knew of his love for Haku...

"You may have everyone else fooled, the caring friend and protector of Haku and the kids, but I know the truth Hidan. You love him. I think you've always loved him. It's not hard to see it either. The first time I met you, the day you helped them move in, I knew."

"Why are you saying this?" Hidan asked, unable to deny Itachi's words.

"Because I know that if you were in Zabuza's place, you'd do everything you could to make sure your family was safe. You'd throw your pride to the side and beg on the streets." Itachi answered. "You'd never yell at Haku or make him cry and you love those kids like they were yours. No uncle, no matter how loving, would ever spend so much time and money on another's kids." at that, Itachi nodded goodbye and went inside his own home. Moments later, the lights went off, leaving Hidan in the shadows of the night.

o~o

"Are you sure?" Haku asked softly, his hands tightening around the mug in his hands.

"You can stay here as long as you wish." Hidan answered, sitting beside him. "I've called a company that will clean up the place and you can decide what you want to do after that."

"We have to start all over." Haku whispered. "I have three kids that have no clothes besides the ones in the bags."

"Well, I'm sure you and Deidara can have fun shopping." Hidan said. "And the new baby is going to need lots of items." he finished seeing the surprise on Haku's face.

"With what? My family's broke. We have nothing." Haku got out on a half sob, half laugh. The shock unable to let him do anything else but try and grasp what was happening. "My husband is gone, taking whatever we had left or of value. All I have are past due bills with no money to pay with. Everything is gone."

"That's what you got me for." Hidan stated, turning Haku to look at him. "You know I'm not going to abandon you."

"I can't-"

"You can and will." Hidan said, leaving no room for argument as he pulled out his wallet and handed over his credit card. "So long as you don't by a country and a large ship, that card can get you anything." Hidan had no problems with spending his money like this. His family was rich and since he was the last in his line, it was all his. Not to mention that he had a lot of investments and small business, that he had/supported/co-owned, also made it easy to spend his days however he wished, spending whatever he wanted.

"Hidan-"

"Buy the kids clothes and toys. Whatever they want. Take yourself to a spa or wherever it is Deidara and you always go once a month. Take the kids out to eat and spend the day not thinking about this. I'm going to figure out the financial side of things and get everything fixed. You will not argue with me because I won't listen and do whatever I want anyway. And if I have to, I'll take the kids shopping myself...though we probably won't even leave the toy store or candy shops." Hidan said seeing a small smile appear on Haku's lips. "Itachi said he'd look for Zabuza and find him for you, then I'll kick his ass."

"You promised not to use foul language around my kids." Haku reminded him as Hidan placed the card in his hands.

"They're asleep." Hidan chuckled. "Now go take a shower, get your kids ready and let me get to work."

"I don't know what I'd do without you." Haku said as he gave him a hug and moved to do as told.

"Neither would I." Hidan whispered after him, knowing he'd be lost without Haku. "Neither would I."

o~o

It took a week for Hidan to get everything financially fixed. He had all the bills transferred to his own name and set them on automatic payments. He added in new life insurance for each of the kids and Haku and changed a few other things that he thought needed to go. He made sure that if anything were to happen to him, that Haku and the kids would get everything and that they'd never have to work a day in their life if they didn't wish to. He had college funds set up for each of the kids, something that Zabuza had tried to do but failed to keep up with.

It also took about that long to get Haku's house cleaned up, but Hidan decided to upgrade the home some more and so kept Haku and the kids at his place so that the house could be remodeled.

It took a month of nonstop work and constant supervision for the house to be complete and when it was done, there were two more rooms added, the living room and kitchen were expanded with new belongings. The basement was turned into a play room for the kids, the main bathroom had an old fashion bathtub and Haku's closet was expanded as well, with new articals of clothing that Hidan had asked Deidara to buy, using another of his credit cards, as a surprise for Haku. And along with the new paint job, Hidan was more then satisfied with the way it looked.

Only when everything Haku had bought for the kids, buying more then he wanted to because Hidan had pulled the kids aside and told them to buy whatever they wanted no matter what their mommy said, was Haku allowed to see his new home.

The expression on Haku's face was enough for Hidan. It made up for the month long of sexual frustration, knowing Haku was only a room away. Of course, coming home to Haku there and the kids greeting him was also a dream come true. In truth, he wanted the house to take longer to fix up, not wishing to lose the little family to reality again.

With a smile on his face, Hidan showed Haku the house, allowing the kids to go crazy at seeing the play room.

His only regret was that he wouldn't get the chance to stay.

o~o

"Uncle Hidan?" Hanare said as she sat beside him on Itachi's porch, watching everyone gather in the backyard for a cook out.

"Yeah?"

"Daddy's not coming back, is he?" Hanare asked, looking at him with eyes that should never have been on a child of her age. "He's not going to see the baby born, huh?"

Turning his own gaze to Haku, Hidan made out the round bump holding the baby. Only one more month to go, and then the baby would be here. Another little girl. Haku was excited about his soon to be daughter and truthfully so was Hidan. He had stepped in as Zabuza's replacement, going with Haku to every appointment. Doing what Haku needed to be done. In the last four months, he had been in Haku's home more then his own. He very rarely saw his own apartment nowadays, and Haku didn't seem to mind seeing him. The kids would ask about Zabuza, and Haku would give them an answer, but otherwise they always went to Hidan for most things.

Yet none of them really seemed to worry about their dad. Both Inari and Sumaru taking to Hidan instantly in their home and practically living with them. Even Hanare seemed to enjoy seeing him all the time. She had once confided in him that she liked him more then her real daddy and wished he was her daddy. When Hidan had shockingly asked why, she had told him because her daddy didn't play dolls with her or watch her cartoons like Hidan did. That Zabuza had mostly played with his boys and did boy things.

Sumaru liked to be read to when he went to bed and he said he liked it more when Hidan read the stories because he made up voices for the people in the books and sometimes changed the books completely so that something else happened.

Inari had even taken to calling him Dada. At first everyone had been stunned, Hidan had even tried to remind the boy that he was uncle, though he hated every second of trying that, but Inari was stubbern and refused to call him anything but Dada. Haku had apologies for it, but Hidan told him not to worry about it.

Because it was Inari's words that made Hidan want to make them his family. If the kids accepted him as their new father, maybe Haku would accept him too. Maybe Haku would finally come to love him and maybe they'd be the family Hidan had always dreamed of being.

"Uncle Hidan?" Hanare said again when he didn't answer.

"I don't think so, baby." Hidan said honestly. Itachi had no luck with finding the man anyway, even if his family was in law inforcement, good a tracking anyone down, Zabuza was still way off the radar. Instead they found the truck but the man was gone. Itachi had people still looking, but both he and Hidan thought that if they did find Zabuza, the man wouldn't come back.

"Good." Hanare smiled, surprising Hidan. "I don't want him as my Daddy anymore. I want you." with that, the little girl kissed his cheek and ran off to play with Shisui and a few other kids around their age.

When someone else sat beside him, he turned his head to look at Itachi. "Did you hear..."

"Yeah and I must say I agree with her. What better person to be her new daddy then you?" Itachi asked with a lift of his lips. "I've never seen those kids so happy and I've never seen Haku glow like he's doing."

"He's pregnant, they all glow." Hidan stated, wanting Itachi's words to be true.

"Yes, but not like that." Itachi answered, "come on, lets go eat. The food is ready."

o~o

"Hidan?" at the faint knock on his bedroom door and his name, Hidan sturred and opened his eyes. Looking around he found himself in the guest bedroom of Haku's home, instead of the room he wanted to be in. "Hidan?"

"Coming." he called out, pulling on his sweats, it wouldn't do for Haku to see him half aroused at just his voice. Opening the door, he found Haku holding his belly. "What's wrong-"

"I think my water broke." Haku said softly.

"Broke? Broke! Oh shit, hold on!" Hidan said running back into his room and pulling on his shoes and a random t-shirt. Dialing Itachi's number, he didn't even give the other a second to say anything before he told him what was going on. By the time Hidan had Haku downstairs, Itachi was already there, telling them he'd watch the kids and take them to the hospital later.

With Haku in the seat beside him, Hidan sped all they way toward the hospital. An hour later, he was sitting beside Haku as the other waited for his body to be ready to have the baby.

Holding Haku's hand within his own, Hidan sat in silence. The excitment of what was going to happen speeding through his blood like a drug. The thought of seeing the baby, being there when it was born, made him want to laugh and scream in happiness. It was no question if he was going to be there, because Hidan would not budge and he could be as stubbern as a donkey. And since Haku showed no signs of sending him away, Hidan knew that Haku was okay with having him near.

"I'm scared." Haku said after a contraction hit and faded slowly.

"Don't be. You've done this lots of times. You're like an expert now." Hidan grinned, earning a look from Haku. "When it's all done, you won't even remember what you were afraid of."

"And because you say, now makes it truth?" Haku asked.

"Of course. My word is law. I'm like god or something."

"With an ego I see." Haku grunted, sqeezing Hidan's hands with all of his might. "I think the baby's ready to come." at that, Hidan pressed the button that would bring someone. "Don't leave me."

"Never." Hidan promised and after that everything was a blur. People moving throughout the room, Haku's screams, and every other noise blending together until a new noise joined the others. Hidan would be lying if he said the birthing process was beautiful. It was kind of disgusting, but he supposed the ending results were what made it worth it. Once the baby was cleaned and bundled, Hidan was almost in tears. Almost because he was a big man and big men don't cry.

"Congratulations." The doctor told them, a smile on his old face. "A healty little girl and she's beautiful." when he turned to Hidan, he chuckled, "You take care of your little girl, daddy, she's going to be a heartbreaker when she grows up."

Though the words sent pleasure down his spine, Hidan knew he had to make it clear that he was just a friend and nothing more. Haku did seem to get embarrased and flustered when someone pinned them as a couple. "She's n-"

"He better." Haku cut him off, causing Hidan to turned stunned eyes toward him. "Or else he's sleeping on the couch for the rest of his life."

"Haku?"

"Right Hidan?"

"Right." Hidan nodded, the grin overtaking his face and before he could stop himself, he bent down and kissed Haku. What shocked him more was that Haku kissed him back with just as much fever.

o~o

"Zabuza." Hidan said as he walked, side by side, with Itachi toward the man standing on the beach. It had taken a year for them to find this man. The majority of that year, Hidan had been in paradise as he got to finally be daddy, to share Haku's bed, to wake up to the raven sleeping right beside him, and kiss him whenever he wanted. He finally got to take Haku out on dates and hold his hands. He finally could tell people that this was his family and Haku was going to be his wife, as soon as they found Zabuza and completed the divorce that is.

Even though they could make love, both Hidan and Haku were holding off until they could make love as husband and wife. They did a bunch of other things but they never went that far and that was only part of the reason that Hidan had pretty much joined the fray to find Zabuza, the other part was to make Haku and the kids finally his. To get their last name changed to his own and to have more kids with Haku. He wanted a houseful of kids running around, no more then that. He grew up an only child and hated every minute of it. He wasn't going to let any of his kids ever feel lonely.

He was already planning on the changes he'd make to the house again too, this time adding a pool because Hanare said every house needed one. And with the empty lot, behind both his and Itachi's home, now belonging to him, Hidan could add in whatever they wanted in the extended backyard. Of course, he'd fence it all in, because he was selfish and only wanted his kids to play on it, Itachi's and Deidara's included. So Hidan planned to build a giant fence around both of their properties, taking out the fence both houses already had that separated their homes. Itachi knew nothing of his plans, neither did Deidara, but the kids knew and all of the Uchiha children and his kids were filled with ideas and plans for the best back yard ever.

"Hidan." Zabuza said, turning to look at him. "Itachi."

"You're a hard man to find." Itachi said.  
"People that hide are." Zabuza answered before turning once more to look at Hidan. "Why are you here?"

"Looking for you."

"You shouldn't be." Zabuza sighed. "How is Haku and the kids?"

"Good, all of them are fine. Hanare is at the top of her class. Sumaru is in school now." Hidan answered. "Inari is in preschool. Haku had a girl, she's beautiful."

Nodding, Zabuza said nothing more.

"Why did you do it?" Itachi asked.

"Because I was living a lie." Zabuza answered. "They were never really my family. And I finally saw that."

"What?"

"They were always yours, Hidan." Zabuza said, never once looking away from Hidan's stunned eyes. "I've always known it but I held on to them anyway. Everytime I saw them, it was a slap in the face. My kids were never meant to be mine. Haku was never meant to be mine. But I was selfish and wanted them to be. Everytime my kids called me Dad or Daddy, I flinched because I knew it was wrong. Everytime I made love to Haku...I couldn't take it anymore. I love them, I always will, but they aren't mine. You've always loved them, loved him. You stayed even knowing that Haku was married to me. You never tried anything, but you treated them like your own. That trip, the one we went on to the zoo, do you remember?"

Frowning, Hidan nodded, remembering that Zabuza refused to have him around after that for three weeks. It was the worst three weeks of his life, and no matter what he tried, he was always sent away by the man in front of him.

"I went to the bathroom and when I came back, I saw you standing by Haku. You were holding Inari in your arms and Hanare was holding onto Haku's hand. Between you two, Sumaru was connecting you all. It hit me like a sack of bricks. Their laughter, the way you watched them, made sure they were okay and happy, the way you acted around them, it hit me. That's when I knew you love them. That's when I began to put everything together and when it all clicked, I saw it. I tried to keep them away from you but I ended up hurting them more. Hurting Haku more."

"What do you mean?" Hidan asked softly when Zabuza said no more.

"Because at the same time I saw this, I knew Haku saw it too. That time you were gone, I knew Haku finally realized that he married the wrong man. That he built a life with the wrong person. Haku never said it, but he didn't have to. I knew already. I knew that he was in love with you and that everytime we made love afterwards, he was wishing I was you." Zabuza said. "I was wishing I was you."

"Zabuza-"

"Take care of them Hidan." Zabuza said, "I've filled out the divorce papers yesterday. I filled them out and sent them to Haku, all they need is his name. If they ever want to find me, tell them no. Tell them that I don't need to be found because they have you."

"I can't tell them that." Hidan stated.

Nodding, Zabuza said, "You won't have to because they'll figure it out themselves." with that, he turned and walked away, never once looking back.

"Is this right?" Hidan asked Itachi, as both watched Zabuza disappear. "All of it?"

"Yes." Itachi nodded. "What wasn't right was that it took this long for everyone to agree to it. Hidan, let's go home."

o~o

He looked into Haku's eyes, seeing the love and devotion being returned. He held his hands in a tight gentle grip and this time he was where he was supposed to be. Standing at the alter, their family watching them, their future ahead of them.

When he was told that he could finally kiss Haku, Hidan leaned forward and did just that. Not hearing the noise created in celebration, he pulled away from Haku and grinned as the other said, "I love you."

With tears in his eyes, Hidan repeated the phrase before kissing him back. Against Haku's lips, he whispered, "I've always have and forever will."


End file.
